Laughing Sailor in Operation (VIDEO)

If you've been to visit Aston's Toy Auctions in the last month, you will have noticed the "Laughing Sailor" on display in our entrance hall. If you haven't seen him working, here's a short video clip:

He's available to buy in our Arne Toy Museum auction on 8th November. You can find him in the catalogue here: http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/astons-toy-auctions/catalogue-id-2891301/lot-19604020

By Kayleigh Francis

Arne Toy Museum Auction [VIDEO PREVIEW] - by Chris Aston

We've been so busy cataloguing this sale that I haven't managed to put aside much time to write about it - but luckily for me other people have!

The sale has been featured in The Antiques Trade Gazette, The Times, The Metro and of course the Collector's Gazette - who have also kindly produced these two videos following the process of putting the auction together.

A third video will follow tracking the auction itself and reporting on prices realised.

I was also invited onto the Alan Titchmarsh show on ITV to talk about some of the toys from the museum collection - you can watch this on ITV player until the 26th October, it's the 27th September episode!

By Chris Aston

Arne Toy Museum Catalogues [AUCTION PREVIEW] - by Chris Aston

Hot off the press!

Full colour glossy catalogues for the very special Arne Toy Museum Auction are now available for £8 each or £10 including UK postage.

Please call Marie Doherty on 01384 250220 or email info@astonstoyauctions.co.uk to obtain your copy.

The auction takes place at our main saleroom on Friday 8th November 2013 at 10am.

More details about the sale can be found on at www.astonstoyauctions.co.uk

By Chris Aston

Dressed for the Death Star! [FEATURED COLLECTION] - by Kayleigh Francis

Star Wars toys are a staple of our monthly toy auction at Aston’s Auctioneers, with Kenner and Palitoy figures and ships always being popular. This month, however, we have some different vintage Star Wars toys to show you…
 
Lot 128 includes two 1983 Acamas Toys costumes, Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper, which are still boxed and unworn.
 


Lot 130 is a classic Don Post Darth Vader helmet. This one is particularly interesting, as it’s a rare first issue from 1977 and still has its sticker attached on the inside.
 


Lot 135 is another item from Don Post, a full size latex Admiral Ackbar mask, released in the 1980s.
 


Lot 139 includes lots of masks! Mostly by Cesar and Ben Cooper, it’s great to see so many of these have survived with their tags intact.
 


Lot 155 is a boxed Palitoy Talking R2-D2. This item was exclusive to Palitoy, so was only released in the UK and can be sought after by collectors.
 


Lot 157 includes a Darth Vader figure carrying case which still has its original colour insert. This one is a first issue, and still has its mail-away shipping box.
 


Last of all, lot 158 includes some ARII Space Convoy model kits. These Japanese bootleg toys feature some great box art, with creatures looking very suspiciously like Star Wars characters – but with claws! These are very hard to find, and even a recent reboot of these kits are demanding a high price on the collectors market.
 


Take a look at our toy auction catalogue for the auction on Saturday 14^th September for more similar items, as well as a whole host of other toys.
 
By Kayleigh Francis

A day at our Toy Auction! [VIDEO] - by Chris Aston

[VIDEO]

A day at our Toy Auction!

 

Thanks to my good friend Bobby Bridgeman who has kindly put this video together for us!

Hopefully it gives a good idea of what a toy auction is like to those of you who have never attended one in person

 

Chris Aston

Super Sci-Fi Lots - SOLD [AUCTION REPORT] - by Kayleigh Francis

We have some very exciting sales coming up in the next few months here at Aston’s Toy Auctions, which I’m sure we will be filling you in on very soon. While we’re busy getting lots ready for our 14^th September sale, I’d like to share with you the hammer prices on some of our sci-fi and TV related lots from our last auction on 17^th August.
 
This very exciting rare Mego Black Knight Jousting Horse Cover, which you may remember from my last blog post, sold for £950 hammer price to a very determined bidder.





Hasbro G1 Transformers always sell well and this Optimus Prime, complete with accessories, was no exception with a hammer price of £70.



Robby the Robot is a sci-fi icon, and this Osaka Tin Toy Institute Tin Age Collection was a very nice model, limited to 2000 pieces. The winning bidder, who paid £220 before commission, expressed his amazement at finding such a wonderful piece here in the West Midlands!
 


One bidder was obviously keen to join the dark side, as this full size Master Replicas Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet fetched £160.


Don’t worry too much, though, as I’m sure Luke Skywalker will be here to help any minute, in his Code 3 Collectibles X-wing Starfighter, which sold for £200.
 


We had quite a few lots of Konami figures, including this lot of Wacky Races models. The bidding raced ahead on this lot, and ended at £180.



We had loads of lovely lots for Gerry Anderson fans. These two Comet Miniatures models, along with a binder containing autographs, sold for £300.
 



This Takara Thunderbird 2 received a lot of interest, and sold for £280.
 


I hope you enjoyed taking a look at some of these prices, the full sale results will be available on our toy auction website shortly.
 
Keep your eyes peeled for some more interesting sci-fi lots in September, including some vintage Star Wars masks!
 
By Kayleigh Francis

Super Scarce Stallion! By Mego [STAR LOT] - by Kayleigh Francis

We are Mega excited about a Mego item that has just come in at Aston’s Toy Auctions. We have a World’s Greatest Super Knights Black Knight Jousting Horse Cover!




The vendor who is entering this item into auction found this Planet of the Apes Action Stallion box while clearing out his father’s attic, and contacted us when he realised the picture shown on the box was very different to what he found inside.




The Mego horse was used in many of their action figure lines, usually with a different paint job. The Planet of the Apes version had a black tail and ankle hair, but the horse in this box has a yellow tail and ankle hair with a light coloured saddle and reins. It appears to be Shadow, the horse from the Heroes of the American West line.


 


However, the most interesting piece is the jousting cover. Mego released the World’s Greatest Super Knights between 1975 and 1976. The Black Knight Jousting Horse was shown in a catalogue, but as far as we’re aware only one other example has been found.


 
The vendor explained that in the 1970s his father worked for a company called Combex, later taken over by Wembley Playtoys. His job involved shipping toys and setting up stalls at large toy shows. The family believe he most likely purchased this item at a toy show in Wembley.

If you’re as excited about this find as we are, and would like a chance to own it, look out for the catalogue for our 17^th August auction which will be available on our toy auction website from 9^th August.

By Kayleigh Francis